Page 2 of Ruined Promises

Ilook at my phone and see it’s already 7:18 p.m. Another late night at the office, but I didn’t become the youngest events director in Maritime Media’s history by working the bare minimum over the past three years. It’s not that I don’t know how to let loose and have fun. I go out regularly with my friends, checking out local bars, restaurants, and clubs. Of course, while there, I typically scope the places out for hosting events. I also have Dominic in my life.

I pull up my texts and see the last text message I had from Dominic was three hours ago.

Babe:Working late. I should be home around 9.

Hmm, it’s strange but not unusual. Dominic typically checks in throughout the evening, seeing how my day was, etc. But this time, nothing. Maybe he was just caught up with something. He’s just as much a workaholic as I am, but we make it work. I always figured that was one reason we work so well—both understanding the importance of working hard.

I shut my computer off and pack up my things. Monday is another day. As per usual, I am one of the last ones to leave. I smile to myself as I wait for the elevator to arrive, remembering when I met Dominic on my first day working here.

For an entire month, Dominic found reasons to stop by Maritime, specifically to see me. How he found time with his busy schedule at school, I’m not sure, but it definitely brightened my day, and I looked forward to it. Even his father commented that he hadn’t seen that much of his son recently. It took another month until he finally convinced me to go out with him on a date.

After that date, we became inseparable, and here we are three years later. I broke my rule of no office romances, but Dominic and I could be the exception to the rule. Plus, he was only connected to the company—he didn’t work there—so that was my brain’s way of finding a loophole. After graduation from law school, Burke, Wilson, and Talbot, located downtown, hired Dominic. I think about whether I should just swing by his office but decide against it. There have been so many nights spent curled up on the couch in his office with takeout just so that we could spend time together.

Instead of making my way over to Eighth and Townsend, where Dom’s office is, I go in the opposite direction toward our apartment. My best friends, Hadley and Brynn, said that we had rushed with moving in together, but when you know, you know. And unlike Heath Ashby in college, who tried to date both Hadley and me simultaneously, Dominic is the one.

I stop by the local market between my office and our place and grab the ingredients for Dominic’s favorite meal and a new bottle of red wine. When I unlock the front door to our apartment, the lights are already on, and Dom’s work bag is on the bench by the door. Yay! He’s already home. I’m glad I didn’t go to his office. I set the bag of groceries down on the counter and grab two wineglasses and the bottle and go in search of Dom. I hear the shower running, so I make my way to our bathroom. When I enter our bedroom, I hear soft moaning.

“Oh, fuck, yes! Right there, baby.”

Oh my God, is he jerking off in the shower? I slip my shoes off in our bedroom. Well, now that I’m home, I can help him out.

I stop in my tracks when I hear him say, “Suck me, baby, take it all. You take my cock so much better than Lexi.”

It’s then that I hear a second moan, a softer muffled moan, definitely belonging to a woman.Oh my God!I close my eyes. No, this is not happening. I take the three steps to the doorway of our bathroom and come face-to-face with my nightmare—or should I say, back-to-face since Dominic has his back to me while some whore is on her knees, inourshower,ourapartment.

Why can’t I move? Why can’t I say anything?

“Get up off your knees and spin around. I want to make you come two more times before she gets home.” This woman knows about me, yet she has no issue with being with a man who has a girlfriend?

It’s as if my life is going in slow motion, and I can’t move, frozen in time. As she stands and spins around, I now recognize the woman to be none other than his secretary, Missy. He tugs on her wet blonde hair, wrapping it around his hand as he slides in her. He was never like this with me.

“Why are you still with her when you love my pussy more? I let you do things to me that she doesn’t even dream of.”

I can’t take it anymore as my boyfriend plows roughly into this other woman. I drop the wineglasses and bottle, cabernet splashing and glass shattering everywhere, just like the pieces of my broken heart.

I quickly back up as Dominic spins around at the commotion, and his eyes meet mine. Shock and guilt fill his blue orbs. I run out of the room, my feet finally moving. I don’t even bother to grab my shoes. I ignore Dominic shouting my name behind me.

“Lexi! Stop! Baby, listen, it’s not what it looks like.”

I spin around to face him, my chest heaving up and down. “You mean it doesn’t look like a humpback whale choking on a sea snake?”

His mouth gapes open.Yeah, that’s what I thought.I roll my eyes and ignore him, grabbing my purse and my keys before slamming the door in his face.

I press the button on the elevator as if pushing it over and over will make it arrive faster. When the elevator dings, I enter and sink to the floor, both thankful and hurt that Dominic didn’t continue to chase me.

I allow the tears to fall as the elevator descends. Dominic Jennings promised me the world, and I was a fool to believe him.

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